Marlins Rally in 11th to Beat Diamondbacks 4-2, Deal Blow to Arizona’s Playoff Hopes

Esteury Ruiz’s Three-Run Double Lifts Miami in Extra Innings

The Miami Marlins delivered a major blow to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ playoff hopes Tuesday night, rallying for a 4-2 victory on Esteury Ruiz’s three-run double in the 11th inning.

With two outs and the game still tied, Ruiz ripped a sinker from Arizona reliever Taylor Clarke into the left-center-field gap. Otto Lopez, Jared Serna and Kyle Stowers all scored on the play, giving Miami its first lead of the night and putting the Marlins within three outs of the win.

The clutch hit was only Miami’s fifth of the game, but it proved to be the difference as the Marlins held on in the bottom of the 11th.

Arizona Misses Opportunity After Padres Loss

The loss was particularly damaging for Arizona in the National League wild-card race. The Diamondbacks entered the night with an opportunity to gain ground after the San Diego Padres lost to Colorado. Instead, Arizona remained 2½ games behind San Diego for the final NL playoff spot with only 10 games remaining.

Arizona had several opportunities to take control of the game but repeatedly failed to deliver with runners on base. The Diamondbacks stranded 15 runners throughout the night. One of their biggest missed opportunities came in the 10th inning when Geraldo Perdomo was thrown out at home plate by Serna on a grounder to second baseman Ryan Waldschmidt.

Marlins Answer Gabriel Moreno’s Early Homer

Arizona struck first in the opening inning when Gabriel Moreno launched a solo home run deep into the left-center-field seats. The 431-foot blast gave the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 advantage and marked Moreno’s 14th homer of the season.

Miami answered in the fourth inning when Griffin Conine launched a solo homer to right-center field, tying the game at 1-1. Neither team could break the deadlock through the remainder of regulation, sending the game into extra innings.

Pitching Keeps Game Tight

Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka turned in a strong start, allowing one run over five innings while striking out six. Soroka struck out five consecutive batters during the second and third innings as he kept Miami’s offense in check.

The Marlins’ pitching staff also managed to navigate Arizona’s constant traffic on the bases. Josh Ekness ultimately earned the victory after throwing two innings, improving to 2-3 on the season. Arizona finally broke through again in the bottom of the 11th when Ketel Marte delivered an RBI double with two outs, cutting Miami’s lead to 4-2. The Diamondbacks’ comeback attempt ended moments later when Moreno grounded out to finish the game.

Nolan Arenado Exits With Thumb Inflammation

Arizona also lost third baseman Nolan Arenado early in the contest. Arenado exited because of right thumb inflammation, adding another concern for a Diamondbacks club fighting to remain in the postseason race.

Miami’s victory not only handed Arizona a difficult loss but also kept the Marlins on the winning side of another extra-inning contest as the regular season enters its final stretch.

Next Up On Wednesday

The Diamondbacks will send right-hander Merrill Kelly to the mound Wednesday as they look to rebound and keep pace in the NL wild-card race. Kelly enters with a 9-13 record and a 4.97 ERA. The Marlins will counter with right-hander Ryan Gusto, who is 1-5 with a 4.14 ERA.

With just 10 games remaining for Arizona, every game carries increased importance, and Tuesday’s loss represented a missed opportunity to gain ground in the increasingly tight NL playoff race.